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little accomplished today, but maybe not?

I have heard it said that as a missionary, you often won’t get as much done as you would like some days. Last week, I had one of those days. In fact, come to think of it, I have a lot of those days. But this day last week was especially challenging for me. My pilot’s license was coming due for renewal, as it expires every 6 months where I am serving. Interestingly though, the aviation office had inadvertently made a mistake and issued me one that was valid for 24 months. Wanting to do the right thing, I took the license into the licensing office and was told by the official that I needed to renew it.

Now, renewing a pilot’s license is not a simple process. First, it requires filling out multiple forms that takes a couple of hours to collate all the data for. Next, it requires returning to the licensing office, followed by going to the Tax office to prepare a voucher to pay for the renewal, then to the bank to deposit the money into the Tax account. With all those steps complete, you then proceed back to the Tax office and finally back to the licensing office to turn in the receipt for paid fees.

With a huge chunk of my day spent working through this laborious process, my mind dwelled on how little I had accomplished that day, as I drove home that night. By the time I got home, I had worked up a good stew of frustration that had simmered on the old “poor is me” stove for quite some time.

But, as I backed my little car into the driveway, a thought came to my mind. Maybe today wasn’t about getting a lot done. Maybe today was about getting one thing done, and getting it done right. Today, the licensing official bore witness to a Christian, who came to straighten out an error that was really in his favor, an error he could have kept quiet about, but instead, wanted to make right. This licensing official got to see a representative from our mission agency act with integrity.

I am reminded that in my economy, a good day often means accomplishing a lot. But God, what does He say? Maybe today a lot was accomplished that wasn’t on my list, but more importantly, was a high priority on God’s list.